Collapsible boat and method of making the same



Dec- 1948- c. SCHWALL, JR 5, 5

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME s Sheets-Sheet 1" Filed ma 17, 1945 I INVENTOR. ghesfer E Scizwall Jr:

ATTORNE S Dec. 14" c F. JR COLLAPSIBLE BOAT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE ,SAME

Filed May 17, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR. Chester E'Schwall Jr;

ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1948. c. F. SCHWALL, JR

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 17, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Chester E schvvall Jr.

AT TORNE I;

Patented 13cc. 14, 1948 COLLAPSIBLE BOAT ANnMETnon F MAK- ING'THE SAME Chester F. Schwall, Jr., Akron, Ohio, assignor to The General Tire & Rubber Company, Akron,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 17, 1945, Serial No. 594,233

16 Claims.

This invention relates to collapsible fabric boats of the inflatable type and to a'method of making the same.

The construction of inflatable boats or boat bodies such as are now used by the air forces is slow, laborious and expensive because of the exe treme accuracy and care with which'the fabric forming the tubular inflatable body must be'cut and joined together at the bends or corners of the tubular body. The present invention has for its object to provide a simple, rapid and inexpensive methodof constructing such tubular inflatable bodies that eliminates such laborious cutting and, joining operations and greatly reduces the labor required to build the tubular body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible fabric boat that can befolded into a compact bundle convenient for transportationby automobile or plane that is strong and durable but relatively inexpensive.

An additional object is to provide the collapsible fabric boat with-adetachable bracket for supporting an outboard motor.

A further object is to provide seats so connected to the opposite portions of the tubular body as to provide cross ties holding the side portions in parallel relation. I

A further object of the invention is to provide connections between the seats and the tubular inflatable body that are detachable when the body is deflated and locked when the body is inflated.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be said to comprise the boat and method of making the same, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended'claims, together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

'Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which: 1

Figure 1 is a top planview of a collapsible fabric boat embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the boat;

Fig. 3 is a section through the stern portion of the boat body taken on the line indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 1; v

Fig. 4 is a section through one of the side portions of the tubular body taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on-the line indicated at 5 -5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary. transverse section 2 v through anoarlock taken on theline indicated at 6-6 in Fig. 2; 3

Fig. 7 is a plan view'of the fabric strip from which the inflatable tubular, body is formed;

Fig. 8 is afragmentary perspective View showingthe manner-of applying cement to the face of the fabric strip along the curved lines that are located at thebases of the tucks, to be formed in the fabric; s

Fig. ,9 is aperspective view showing a longitudinally foldedistrip of bias cut tape laid upon the cement along one of the tuck base lines;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the fabric body folded to cement-the unattached flap of the tapeto the fabric body along the opposite base line of the tuck, and v Fig. 11 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale through the seat supporting block,-

-R,eferring to the accompanying drawings, the boat of the present invention'has a tubular inflatable body formed of an impregnated fabric such as rubberized fabric that is capable of retaining air under pressure. 'The tubular boat body is endless and comprises a stern portion i, parallel side portions 2 and converging prowportions 3. The side portions 2 are joined tothe sternfportion I by miter joints and are disposed substantially at right angles to the stern portion I. The prow portions 3 which have a slight up.- ward inclination with respect to the boat bottom, are disposed at abtuse angles to the side portions 2 and are connected by a miter joint at the point of the prow. I

Each of the miter joints'at the corners of the inflatable 'bo'dy' is formed with a tuck 4 on the interior of thetube, as shown in Fig. 5 to dispose of the excess fabric and each miter joint is reinforced by a tape band 5 that extends-diagonally around the tube and covers the base of the tuck. -Midway' between the ends of the stern portion ljthe fabric of the tubular body is joined end to-end in a transversecircumferential seam 6 and side edges of the fabric forming the inflatable body are joined alongfa seam I that entends around the H exterior perimeter of the body. The seams are suitably reinforced; the seam 1 being reinforced and made air tight by a strip' of reinforcing tape 8 covering the seam on the outside anda second strip of tape 8a covering theseam on the inside. s j

The boat has a fabric bottom 9 formed ofsuit; able waterproof flexible material such as rub -j berized fabric. The bottoms is cemented tetheunder side of the tubular inflatable body along its peripheral edge, the outer edge of the fabric bottom 9 being covered with a strip of reinforcing tape I 0. The bottom 9 is additionally connected to the tubular inflatable body by means of a hinge tape H which is folded longitudinally to provide two flaps of equal width, one of which is cemented to the top of the bottom 9 and the other of whichis cemented to the inflatable body.

On the inner sides of the side portions 2 of the body seat patches 12 are attached, each patch [2, being formed of suitable rubberized fabric having end portions cemented to the exterior portions of the tubular portion 2. Intermediate the ends each of the patches l2 has aloop portion l3. which encloses a horizontally. disposed block- M which is held against the tubular body and serves as a seat support. The block 14 is preferably attached at its inner side to the'tubular boatbody by means of tape strips l3a adhered to thebody and to the inner side and top and bottom of the block. The strips I3a are also adhered to the interior of the loop 13 and serve to. prevent twisting of the block l4 within the loop l3 which would tend to break the bond between the patch and tubular body adjacent the opposite sides of the loop 13. Each of the blocks M has a wide staple l5 attached to its top which provides a retaining bar spaced above the upper side thereof, the blocks on opposite side portions 2 providing supporting ledges for opposite ends of seats l6. Each seat has an upwardly facing hook I! at each end which can be inserted into the space between the top bar of the staple, l5 and the upper side of the block when the boat body is f each patch l8 having crossing straps I9 riveted or cemented to the under side thereof and passing through an oarlock ring that'is secured by the straps to the patch.

On the central portion of the stern l a large fabric patch 2| is adhesively'secured", the patch 2| having a loop 22 adjacent its rear lower end which encloses a block 23 similar to the seat sup porting blocks [4. An additional chafing patch 24 may be provided beneath the block 23 and both the patches 2| and 24 extend across and serve to reinforce the end seam 6. The block 23 has an attaching plate 25 secured thereto and forms a seat for the body 26 of an outboard motor supporting bracket. vThe body 26 has a hook 21 engaging the plate 25 and forwardly extending braces 28 that have forward edges shaped to conform to the inflated boat body. ;:A pairiof straps 29 are riveted or cemented at their for ward ends to forward end portions of the patch 2| and engage at their rear ends with buckles 30 attached to the braces 28 of the motor sup: porting bracket.- A suitable inflation valve 3| is attached t'oth'e tubular body at a convenientpoint, as indicated der pressure. As shown in Fig. "7, the piece of fabric A from which the boat body is made is in the form of an elongated rectangular strip of a length corresponding to the transverse perimeter of the tube which forms the boat body. In Fig. '7, curved transverse lines 32 and 33 are shown adlacent one end of the fabric strip which are the base lines of the tucksthat are located at the corner joining the stern portion I with one of the side portions 2. Adjacent the opposite end of the fabric strip, similar curved lines 34 and 35 are shown which are the base lines of the tuck at the corner between the stern portion I and the opposite side portion '2. Midway between the ends of the fabric strip A curved lines 36 and 31 simi and in each case the base lines converge to a centr'ally disposed transverse fold line 42 that extends across the strip A.

The method of forming the tucks is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. An adhesive is applied to the strip A in bands 43 of suitable width extending along the tuck base lines, after which a tape 5 is applied along one base line of each tuck as shown in Fig. 9. The tape 5 is in the form of a longitudinally folded strip of bias cut fabric which can be readily bent to follow a curved line, and one of the two flaps of this strip is first attached to the cement band along one of the tuck base lines as shown in Fig. 9, the folded edge of the tape} being disposed toward the central fold line 42. In applying the tapes 5, the ends thereof are spaced from one margin 44 of the fabric strip A so as to leave the margin 44 free for forming a lap seam with the opposite edge of the fabricstrip. After each tape 5 has been adhesively secured to the faceof the fabric strip A the fabric strip is folded on the adjacent transverse line 42 to bring the band of adhesive along theopposite tuck base line into engagement with the free flap of the tape 5 so that when the folded f abricis pressed down upon the tape 5, the tape 5 will be adhesively secured to the fabric along the two oppositely curved base lines of the tuck.

As shown in Fig. 7, the tuck base lines at the ends and center of the strip are symmetrically disposed with respect to the fold lines 42 and also with respect to the longitudinal center line of the fabric strip. The base lines 38, 39, and 4| are offset slightly with respect to both the fold line a: and the center line so that when the operation is completed the prow portions 3 will be inclined upwardly at a slight angle to the side portions 2, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

When the tucks are formed by cementing the fabric to the tapes 5 along the tuck base lines as above described, the tucks 4 will all lie uponthe under'sideofthefabric. After the tu'cks have been formed the fabric strip is folded longitudinally to bring one end of the stripinto lap ping engagement with the other, and the'two ends are thenzcernented together to convert the fabric strip into an endless band with the tucks 4' lo cated upon the exterior face of the band. After the strip has been converted into a band, the band is folded outwardly to lap one side edge upon the other and these side edges are cemented together to form the lap seam 7 around the exterior periphery of the body. The tapes Band-8a may be cemented to the outside and inside of the fabric strip A along opposite edges and cement applied to the inner side of the strip 8 and the outer side of the strip 8a before the fabric is folded to form the lap seam I. The tucks 4 on the interior of the tubular body will cause the body to assume the polygonal shape shown in Fig. 1 and upon inflation the tuck forming-tapes will form reinforcing bands covering the bases of the tucks and extending diagonally around'the tubular body at each of the corners thereof.

When the boat body is inflatedonly the short end portions of the tucks will be in portions of the body in which the fabric is put under substantial tension by the inflation pressure and these end portions of the tucks may be firmly cemented together. Separation of portions of the miter joint by tension on the fabric will not cause leakage of air and any such rupture can be easily repaired by means of an external patch.

The patches i2 and It may be applied to the fabric body before forming the tucks if desired, ormay be applied to the body after the fabric has been formed into a tubular body. The bottom 9 can be adhesively secured to the tubular body after the body has been formed as above described and before the same is inflated, the hinge strips ll permitting the inflatable body to assume a transverse cylindrical form without distorting the bottom 9. t 1

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the specific device herein shown and described for purposes of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

WhatI claim is:

1. The herein described method of making an inflatable boat body which comprises providing a strip of impregnated fabric adapted to retain air under pressure and of a length corresponding to the external periphery of the boat body to be formed, shortening .the strip along its longitudinal central portion by forming spaced tucks in the fabric, all disposed upon the same side thereof, and converting the strip into an endless tube with the tucks upon the interior thereof by attaching together the longitudinal and end edges of the strip.

2. The herein described method of making an inflatable boat body which comprises providing a strip of impregnated fabric adapted to retain air under pressure and of a length corresponding to the external periphery of the boat body to be formed, shortening the strip along its longitudinal central portion by forming spaced tucks in the fabric, all disposed upon the same side thereof, cementing a tape strip across the base of each tuck, and converting the strip into an endless tube with the tucks upon the interior thereof by cementing together the longitudinal and end edges of the strip.

3. The herein described method of making an inflatable boat body which comprises providing a strip of impregnated fabric adapted to retain air under pressure and of a. length corresponding to the external periphery of the boat body to be formed, shortening the strip along its longitudinal central portion by forming spaced tucks in the fabric, all disposed upon the same side thereof, converting said strip into an endless band by attaching one end thereof to the other with the tucks upon the outside of the band, and converting the endless band into an endless tube by folding the edges of the band outwardly and attaching the same together.

4. The herein described method of making an inflatable boat body which comprises providing a strip of impregnated fabric adapted to retain air under pressure and of a length corresponding to the external periphery of the boat body to be formed, shortening the strip along its longitudinal central portion by forming spaced tucks in the fabric, all disposed upon the same side thereof, converting said strip into an endless band by cementing one end thereof to the other with the tucks upon the outside of the band, and converting the endless band into an endless tube by folding the edges of the band outwardly and cementing the same together.

5. The herein described method of making an inflatable boat body from a single sheet of rubberized fabric which comprises providing an elongated strip of the rubberized fabric of a length corresponding to the outside perimeter of the body to be formed, forming a series of tucks at spaced points along the length of the strip, all lying upon the same side of the strip, each tuck being located wholly between the side edges of the strip and extending transversely of the strip, converting the strip into an endless band by securing one end of the strip to the other with the tucks upon the outside of the band, and converting the endless band into an endless tube by folding the edges of the band outwardly and securing the same together to form an external peripheral seam.

6. The herein described method of making a boat body in the form of an endless inflatable tube from a single piece of rubberized fabric which comprises providing a strip of the fabric of a length corresponding to the external perimeter of the body, shortening the central portion of the strip to a length corresponding to the internal perimeter of the body by forming spaced tucks intermediate the side edges of the strip, converting the strip into an endless band by cementing theend edges together, and converting the band into an endless tube by cementing the side edges thereof together.

7. The herein described method of forming a tuck intermediate the edges of a strip of fabric which comprises applying cement along curved lines converging to a transverse fold line adjacent the opposite edges of the strip, applying one side edge portion of a longitudinally folded tape to the cement along one of said curved lines and folding the strip about said transverse fold line to cement the opposite side edge portion of the tape to the fabric along the other of said curved lines.

8. The herein described method of making an inflatable boat body which comprises providing a strip of rubberized sheet material of a length corresponding to the outside perimeter of the body, forming tucks of various depths on one side of said fabric strip at spaced points along the length thereof and intermediate its side edges, forming the strip into a band by joining together the end edges thereof with the tucks upon the interior of the band, and forming the band into an endless tube by joining the side edges thereof outwardly of the tucks.

9. An inflatable boat body comprising an endless tube formed of a single piece of fabric which has a seam joining ends of the fabric around the tube and a seam joining side edges of the fabric along the exterior perimeter of the body, the fabric wall of said tube being continuous except iorfsai'dseams andh yin tu k 'nren the .ime or t r f at p d pqintsmlQn -it-h zinteriqrmerimete orthexbwy 1.0. inflatabl boa-t .body comprisi amen ,less tube formed of ,asingle piece pf iabric which has a seam joining ends of the fabric :a-nound thetube and a seam Jo nines ei deesqfizthei abric a n the exterior pe i t r o th body. h fabric wall of said tu e ng c ntinuous except for-said seams and havin tucks :upon (the interior there f at .sp c drp nts alone the in erio perimstar f the b dy, and e v in o cin p@dhes ive y s c ed to the fabr and co erin th last mentioned sea-m. e

11. Aninflatabierboat body comprising an end less tube formed of 12. single piece of fabr ic whieh has a seam ,ioining'en s of-the f r c a o n t tu anda se m io ninssid edges :of the iii-bri along L hG i exterior perimeter of the body, said tube having tucks upon the interior thereof at spaced points along the interior perimeter of the body, and zl'einforcing strips adhesiyely secured @to :"the exterior surface of the tube andextendingv across the bases of the tucks.

12., An inflatable boat body comprising an endless time formed of a single .pi e ofi e ri and having a seam along its exterior perimeter and a transverse circumferential seam, said body h ving angularly disposed portions-and .miter joints connectingsaidangularly disposed portions, each miter jointcomprisinga tuck within the tube and a tape ex end ng diagonally around the tube at the base of the tuck.

13. An inflatable boatzbodyzoomprisingran endless tube .formed of .a single piece .of ,fabrioand of substantially polygonal form, a tuck extending into :the tube from the interior periphery thereof at :each icorner, and a reinforcing strip l'adhesively secured to the exterior .of the ituhelalong :the base of ,each tuck.

1.4. A boat ahaving anendless inflatable rtuhular body with substantially parallel side portions and a transverse rear end portion, a fabnic patch .adhesively secured to said rear/end :pontion and extending over :the {ten and downwa dly over its rear thereof, said fabric ,patch having :a 100p edieoent lower :end, a block held against the tubul hod ibys d *loep r meter a ke havin is body seated said bl d l t chably cured thereto and braces extending forwardly Ir rn :ee dibody and having d es hap d o ec ;form etc said body, and bracing straps attached to said patch and .detachebly secured to said bracket.

45. A boat haying an endless inflatable tubularbodywithsubstantiallyparallelside portions patches secured to the sinner sides of said side portions, blocks attached to ,said patches, a retainer gbagr attached to each block and :Spaced fr m it op vedg se s having end port ons resting on seid ib s weep-we r y f n hooks en aging said ,aba rs.

l Aib e hating d es infl table-tubider body with substantially parallel side mortions, a patchsecured ,to the top of each-side :portion, an oarlock ring disposed centrally Of the patch and m ans ifor secu in e d n to s patch comprising rangularly disposed straps r-hva vmg vc nt al Mnattach dcr ssin p t o s ext dsin through said ring and attached tosaid patch outward y =Qf said crossing portions.

CH ST-E SCEWAL JR.

EE BENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

N TED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,502 Sultemeyer April 9, 1901 1,456,168 Witmer et a1. May22, 1923 1,570,470 Fritsche et al Jan. 1 9, 1926 1,686,366 Boyle Get. 2, 1 928 1;7&9,.71:1 "Meyer Mar. 4, 1 930 1 8.60,:609 Clarke May 31, 1982 2,150,420 Cooper Man-14, 1939 23?),069 Patten Feb. '20, I945 2,390,199 "Walsh Dec. 4, 1945 

